WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS

Background

The Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID) is leading the Imagine Downtown initiative, a very visible and inclusive public dialogue that will explore the experiences and perspectives of our stakeholders to better understand their view of the downtown today, and their hopes for the downtown tomorrow.

The insights, information and perspectives gained through Imagine Downtown will be used to inform the development of RDBID’s strategic plan, which will help guide RDBID programs, activities, capital investments and advocacy work pertaining to Regina’s downtown, and craft a compelling vision that truly reflects the public’s perceptions, opinions, ideas and priorities pertaining to Regina’s Downtown.

Over the next few months, we want to hear your stories, your experiences, your memories, your concerns, and your ideas regarding Regina’s downtown. There are a number of different ways for people and groups to make their voices heard (all of which are listed at www.imaginedowntown.ca).

One way to contribute is by sending us a written response on behalf of your organization.

This guide is intended to prompt some thought-provoking questions to help get the creative juices flowing. Don’t feel like you have to answer all the questions, or even any of them – tell us what matters to you!

Thanks in advance for your input, and for helping us plan the future of downtown Regina.

(e.g., Are your organization or its members located downtown? Is the vibrancy and success of your organization tied to the vibrancy and success of Regina’s downtown? Other?)

2. With your organization or group in mind, which three aspects or attributes of Regina’s downtown are most important? E.g.,

Parking

Transit

Traffic

Safety

Cleanliness

Events

Character / Sense of Place

Business Recruitment (i.e., ensuring that Downtown has the right mix of businesses and amenities)

Something Else?

3. Of the attributes you identified above, which does Regina’s downtown currently excel at? Where is more focus or improvement required?

4. In the future, how should Regina’s downtown be different? What types changes would you like to see?

5. In the future, how should Regina’s downtown be the same?

6. Going forward, how can the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID) best support the realization of your vision for Regina’s downtown? What should the RDBID do more of / less of?

7. What’s your most memorable experience in downtown Regina?

8. Which other communities similar to Regina have vibrant and attractive downtowns? What can we learn from these communities?

9. Any other thoughts or ideas you’d like to share to help us improve Regina’s downtown? Any other questions you wish we would have asked?

Other Potential Questions

You may also wish to integrate some or all of the following questions into your discussion, depending upon their importance or relevance to your group:

10. What are the main advantages or benefits to your group or organization of being located in downtown Regina? What are the most significant disadvantages or challenges?

11. What are the main advantages or benefits of working in downtown Regina? What are the most significant disadvantages or challenges?

12. What are the main advantages or benefits of living in downtown Regina? What are the most significant disadvantages or challenges?

(Parking & Traffic-Related Questions)

13. How would you describe parking in downtown Regina, in terms of:

Cost?

Proximity (i.e. how close you are able to park to your destination)?

Visibility (i.e., the extent to which parking is easy to spot or find)?

14. How far do you typically have to park from your destination? What would you consider to be an ‘acceptable’ distance, in terms of how far you have to park from your destination?

(Public Safety-Related Questions)

15. In general, do you feel safe in downtown Regina?

16. Where and/or when in particular do you feel unsafe in downtown Regina?

17. Which safety-related measures or other changes might make you feel safest downtown?

Tell Us a Bit about Your Group

How many people participated in your discussion?

1. What are the names of participants? (Optional)

2. Was the meeting organized or hosted by a particular group?

3. When and where did you meet to discuss these questions?

4. How can we contact you?

Need Some Help Getting Started?

To inform your written response, you may wish to host a small group discussion with your colleagues, staff, or association members.

1. Give your group’s participants a call or an e-mail to say you would like to facilitate a discussion on the topic of Regina’s Downtown, and invite their help to generate some good ideas.

2. Choose a comfortable location, such as a coffee shop or a meeting room, and schedule the discussion for a time when most of your group is able to attend. The discussion will likely require approximately 2 to 2½ hours.

3. Choose one member of your group to be the facilitator, who will guide the discussion along, and keep the discussion on topic.

4. Choose one member of the group to be the recorder, who will take notes and help summarize the thoughts and ideas that the group has identified and agreed on by the end of the discussion.

5. Start by stepping everyone through the list of questions at a very high level, making sure everyone understands what the discussion focuses on and what the questions are before the discussion begins.

6. Give everyone a few minutes of quiet time to jot down their own initial responses to each question, which will allow for a wider set of ideas to come forward during the discussion.

7. For each question, have each person briefly share their answer out loud. Use a flip chart or dry erase board to write down the main points, while the recorder captures the details of the conversations.

8. Discuss everyone’s responses as a group, and identify any connections, overlaps or broader themes that emerge, and see if any clear priorities start to form. Ask prompting questions, like ‘What does this tell us?’

9. Summarize what has been said, and then check to see if your group can agree on a response, or handful of responses, for each question. Try to get consensus on three main comments or ideas for the question that reflects what the group has said, discussed and agreed to.

10. Use the blank space provided below the questions to write down the answer your group has agreed upon. Keep answers brief, but clearly explain your thoughts and ideas.

11. Submit your response

Submission Instructions

To ensure that your voice is heard, submit your written response by Monday, August 31, 2015, by mail or email:

Imagine Downtown

c/o Regina Downtown Business Improvement District

1822 Scarth Street – 2nd Floor

Regina, SK S4P 2G3

Email: info@reginadowntown.ca

Wherever possible, we would appreciate receiving written responses by email (e.g., in an email message, or an attached Word or PDF document).

Thanks in advance for your input, and for helping us plan the future of downtown Regina.